After taking a look at some of the best offensive and defensive players at their positions in 2023 who the Steelers are scheduled to face in 2024, it’s time to finish up with the best offensive and defensive ranks as a team. Before moving on, here are all the groups who have been covered so far:

Rushers
Receivers
Quarterbacks
Tight Ends
Pass Rushers
Pass Defenders
Tacklers

Today it’s time to check out teams who ranked at the top in the NFL in defense for 2023 who are on the Steelers schedule for 2023. The two categories for defensive rank will be yardage surrendered and points surrendered. Teams who finished in the top 10 in either category will be listed as well as their place in the other category even if it isn’t in the top 10.

Of course there have been a number of departures and arrivals for each defense the Steelers will face this season. Some of the key player movements will be noted in each description. Of the more than a dozen teams who appear in the top 10 of one of the two categories, the Steelers are set to face six of them this season.

Cleveland Browns (1st yardage, t-13th points)
Week 12, Week 14

It was a pretty big discrepancy between the Cleveland Browns yardage surrendered compared to how many points they gave up in 2023. The Browns were first by a large margin when it came to surrendered yardage. But when it came to points surrendered, which many could argue is more important, the Browns were right around the middle of the league as they were tied for 13th with 362 points, which comes out to 21.3 points per game. It also didn’t help that Cleveland gave up 45 points in the postseason. One big difference was the discrepancy in points surrendered at home versus on the road. The Browns only gave up 13.9 points at home which was the lowest in the NFL. But when it came to away games, the Browns were tied for last with the Denver Broncos as they surrendered 29.6 points per game which did not include their playoff loss.

The Browns did make a few key additions on their defense by adding inside linebacker Jordan Hicks and defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson. The Browns also added Devin Bush, but Steelers fans would argue that’s more of a negative then a positive. But the Browns defense also lost defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, cornerback Michael Ford, and inside linebacker Anthony Walker.

Kansas City Chiefs (2nd yardage, 2nd points)
Week 17

Although most people think the Kansas City Chiefs are known for their offense, it was their defense that was arguably the best in the NFL last season. The Chiefs came in second place in both categories, which is far better than the other teams that finished ahead of them in each category. The Chiefs did not make any significant additions to their defense while losing inside linebacker Willie Gay and safety Mike Edwards. They also traded away cornerback Ladarius Sneed. Whether or not they can duplicate their success from 2023 is a big question going into the season.

New York Jets (3rd yardage, 12th points)
Week 7

Much like the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets had good yardage numbers in 2023 when it came to defense, but were not as impressive when it came to points. Unlike the Browns, they did not see a huge discrepancy between home and away, with home actually coming in a little bit worse. As for the pieces that have changed for the season, the Jets signed defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and Leki Fotu as well as cornerback Isaiah Oliver. On the other hand, the Jets lost outside linebacker Bryce Huff, safety Jordan Whitehead, and defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson.

Dallas Cowboys (5th yardage, 5th points)
Week 5

The only team from the NFC on this list for the Steelers is the Dallas Cowboys. Even though five of the top 10 teams in points surrendered were from the NFC, only one of them plays the Steelers this year. When it comes to the yardage, there are only three NFC teams in the top 10. The Dallas Cowboys are a top-notch defense who the Steelers will face the season. Even though the Cowboys lost some pieces on their defense such as defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, linebacker Eric Kendricks as one of their few free agent additions.

Baltimore Ravens (6th yardage, 1st points)
Week 11, Week 16

The Ravens finished first in points surrendered last year, but just missed the top five when it came to yardage. The Ravens defense is no stranger to the Steelers even though they will have some new faces this year. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen joined the Steelers in free agency and the Ravens lost defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, safety Geno Stone, and cornerback Ronald Darby. The Ravens didn’t add much to their defense with nobody earning more than a minimum salary deal with the possible exception of safety Eddie Jackson whose contract has not been reported yet.

Las Vegas Raiders (15th yardage, 9th points)
Week 6

Despite being in the middle of the road when it came to yardage surrendered, the Raiders were a top 10 team in points surrendered last year. Facing the Steelers for the third straight season, the biggest difference with the Raiders defense this year was the huge acquisition of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins which overshadowed the losses of defensive end below Bilal Nickels, cornerback Amik Robertson, and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery.